Conventionally, a telecommunication or other DC-based power plant and data centers often employ multiple AC or DC power sources to provide a regulated DC voltage to a load. AC power sources use rectifiers to convert their AC output voltages to a regulated DC output, and DC power sources use DC-DC converters to adjust their voltages to a regulated DC output. A DC bus aggregates the DC outputs, allowing them to power the load.
A DC distribution panel is typically employed with a central controller to control the rectifiers and converters to allocate the load among the multiple power sources. Sometimes a single power source bears the load, but more often multiple power sources share the load to some extent. Various techniques have been devised to achieve load sharing and shedding among multiple power sources.
The DC distribution panel may include shunts and battery contactors that are built directly into the frame of the DC distribution panel, and may further include circuit breakers or fuses that function to protect the system from shorts and power surges. The shunt can function as a current monitor for a load or the batteries in those instances where certain voltage value is obtained. For example, if AC power is lost, the power system switches to the back-up DC battery power. However, if a battery drains to a certain voltage value, the shunt measures this drain as well as the respective DC bus voltage and generates a signal that is read by a controller, which disconnects the over-drained battery from the system to prevent damage to the battery.